They Live (1988): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1988, They Live is an action and science fiction film directed by John Carpenter, running about 94 minutes. “You see them on the street. You watch them on TV. You might even vote for one this fall. You think they're people just like you. You're wrong. Dead wrong.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Nada, a wanderer without meaning in his life, discovers a pair of sunglasses capable of showing the world the way it truly is. As he walks the streets of Los Angeles, Nada notices that both the media and the government are comprised of subliminal messages meant to keep the population subdued, and that most of the social elite are skull-faced aliens bent on world domination. With this shocking discovery, Nada fights to free humanity from the mind-controlling aliens.

Who’s in it. They Live stars Roddy Piper as John Nada, Keith David as Frank Armitage, Meg Foster as Holly Thompsen and George Buck Flower as Drifter, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.3/10, They Live has been warmly received by audiences. It went on to earn $13M at the box office.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch They Live page.

If you liked it. Fans of They Live tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.